Tooth cleaning device having absorbent laminations



Feb. 1954 e. c. HALFORD, JR 2,667,655

TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE HAVING ABSORBENT LAMINATIONS Filed Sept. 22, 1951 INVENTOR.

is ATTOPNEYS Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICE TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE HAVING ABSORBEN T LAMINATION S George C. Halford, Jr., Cleveland Heights, Ohio Application September 22, 1951, Serial No. 247,798

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a the teeth.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved cleaning device which will be extreme- 1y eiiective in cleaning the teeth.

Another object is to provide an improved cleaning device which will effectively apply dentifrice to all surfaces of the teeth.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cleaning device which is extremely simple in construction.

Another object is to provide an improved cleaning device which may very economically be manufactured.

Another object is to provide an improved cleaning device which is readily disposable.

Another object is to provide an improved cleaning device which can be used only once.

Other objects will hereinafter appear.

Th generally accepted procedure in cleaning teeth consists of taking a small brush with bristles between A1 and inch long at one end, saturating the brush with water, applying a dentifrice to the bristles and then scrubbing the teeth with the bristles, there being several schools of thought as to whether they should be brushed horizontally or vertically, and the like. From time to time the tooth-brusher expectorates mixed saliva, dentifrice, water and foreign particles and he condevice for cleaning eludes by rinsing his teeth with water, shaking I water out of the brush wash bowl.

This procedure has a number of disadvantages and objectionable features, some of which are recognized and others not.

For instance, if brushes be composed of stiff bristles, they will ride upon the projecting surfaces of the teeth and not reach into the interdental spaces or other recesses, while if the bristles are soft, they tend to bend over in the same direction and mat into a surface composed of the sides of the bristles which, while it produces less abrasive action, slides over the teeth also without penetrating efiectively into depressions in and between the teeth.

If the bristles are stifi, they may penetrate the membranous covering of the gums, damaging this membrane and causing bleeding. Damage of the membrane may, in extreme cases, cause recession of the gums and also raises the possibility of infection.

The possibility of infection is aggravated by the fact that the tooth brush is hung in the open between uses and, generally being hung up wet, has every opportunity to collect dust, germs and and hanging it over the the like to produce unsanitary conditions which the dentifrice is supposed to be sufficiently germicidal to offset, but which is not always successfully taken care or in this manner.

Again, brushes are relatively expensiv and there are periods when shortages of suitable bristle material have caused the substitution of less desirable bristles and some of the synthetic substitutes hav been much more brittle and much more inclined to break, leaving sharp points or edges, than are natural bristles.

Moreover, the use of relatively large quantities of water in rinsing the teeth flushes from them the dentifrice so quickly that any therapeutic value that this material might possess has a negligible opportunity to exert itself.

The present invention eliminates the aboverecited disadvantages and others.

It will be better understood from the description of one practical embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is an elevational view of the device, showing it in engagement with the incisors of a set of teeth;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the same device;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the handle or shank of the device of the first three figures; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the laminations included in the device of the first three figures; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a collar which retains the laminations as illustrated in Figure 1 and Figure 3.

Th present invention contemplates the provision of a cleaning device which will be used only once and may readily be disposed of after using. It further contemplates such a device which may be easily and economically manufactured of materials which are soluble in, or at least softened by, water and is sufficiently light and small that a relatively large supply of the devices may be kept on hand, each preferably being individually packaged in a sanitary and bacteria-impervious container such as a cellophane envelope.

It requires no water and it reaches into recesses in the teeth effectively but without harsh abrasive action.

The device can further be impregnated with any desired dentifrice and thus eliminates the handling of this material as a separat item.

It makes very eiiective the use of certain materials, such, for instance, as ammoniated dentifrices, the use of which, with the older type brush,

a glue of a relatively slow solubility is required so that the device will not disintegrate before the tooth cleaning operation is completed.

This handle or shank as shown is formed at one end into a flange or head 2, which may easily be done as part of or in conjunction with met'pem:

tion of winding the handle.

' Slid onto the handle are a series of serrated or star-'shapeddiscs or laminations teach havinga central aperture which closely fits the handle or shank. 1

The laminations are preferably secured to the handle by a water soluble glue, and may easily be located by being moved against the head 2."

"Itwill be understood that the actual scrubbing elements above described as the la'minations 3 the may be formed. integrally, in other words, a fluted tubular piece of .material might be used, although, such case, it is preferably cut at least as far down as the bottom of the flutes or serrations by circumferential cuts which provide pointed. lugs or tabs corrspjonding to those which in the laminae (according to Figure 5) are formed. by the rojecting'points.

The actual scrubbing element, whether it. be integral or a stack of laminations as above 'described, is madeofia flexible water absorbent ma terial" such as felt. Preferably it has a fibrous and: somewhat resilient nature, and. various animalfelts, including wool felt, are very'satisfac tory for this purpose.

Thescrubbing element may further be held in place by slid against the inner end of the stackof laminationsl' and secured to the handle by water-soluble adhesive; With a scrubbing element. of. the size and proportions shown in the drawing, it is found that the points or serrations thereofeasilybend'over a'ndqadap't themselves to irregularities in the tooth surface, making it possible to scrub this surface very thoroughly and dislodge foreign particles therefrom.

It is possibleto impregnate the scrubbing element with any desired dentifrice, either. while the material is in sheet form even after assembly.

In use, the cleaning device is merely taken from its sanitary envelope and applied directly to' the teeth. No water is supplied, but. the dentifrice causes the saliva to flow in sufficient quantities to a collar 4 of paper or similar material,

before the lamination's are cut from it, or after these have beenfcut, or'

moisten the device; and this saliva, together with dislodged solid particles, is absorbed in and adheres to the felt, or similar material, so that when the user has gone over his teeth, he has actually removed from them all bacteria, particles of foreign material and the like and takes them from his mouth upon removing the cleaning device, leaving in hismouth and upori'his' teeth a coating of the dentifrice material." 7

He has then only to throw away the used cleaning device, which will, if thrown into water, completely disintegrate upon the dissolution of adhesive holding its various parts together, so that it may easily and safely be disposed of by beingthrown into a water closet or similar appara us Experiments made with this cleaning device shovv' th'at it is very much more effective than the ordinary tooth brush and that its improvement thereover is especially. marked with the use of ammoniated dentifrices.

It will be apparent that both the head 2 and collar may be omittedand that this merely. requires a little more careful application of the adhesive used to secure the laminae to the handle.

While I have described the'iilustrated embodi.-' ment of my invention. in some particularity, obviously many modifications and variations thereof will readily occur to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and I therefore. do not limit myself to the details shown. and described, but claim as my. invention all. such modifications, variations and improvements coming within the scope of theappended claim.

I claim: v

A tooth cleaning device comprising a handle made of a plurality, of convolutions'. of sheet'ma-' terial secured together. by Water-soluble adhesive and a series offiexible absorbent moth-engaging laminaesecuried to said. handle by Water-soluble adhesive, said. laminae each comprising a disc having peripheral outwardly. extending tooth-engaging projections."

e s Ber en e- References Cited in the file of. this patent UNITED S A E P T NT 

